Prayer

Prayer is a vital part of the work God is doing among the Hui. It is the means God has ordained for Christians to “partner” in “promoting” the Gospel to unreached peoples on the other side of the world. John Dickson in The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission: Promoting the Gospel with More than Our Lips provides a clear, biblical look at how we are to proclaim and “promote” the Gospel. Pulling principles from Dickson’s book, this page discusses how believers around the world can join in “promoting” the Gospel among the Hui. 

Of all the things the New Testament mentions as gospel-promoting activities (giving money, speaking of Jesus, and so on) prayer is the one most frequently urged. I do not for a moment want to encourage readers to be silent about their faith: that would be a tragedy and a sure sign of ill health as Christians. But even more tragic, I believe, would be our silence in prayer, the primary evangelistic task of every believer. (John Dickson)

John Dickson argues that prayer is the primary evangelistic task of every believer. Prayer is more important than gospel proclamation or doing good deeds. We often verbally acknowledge the importance of prayer; yet, we do not actually desperately pray for the lost and for God’s workers in the harvest. Jesus asks all disciples to get involved in the harvest.

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

(Matthew 9:35-38 ESV – emphasis mine)
Jesus sees the crowds, and he has compassion for them. He is deeply moved and concerned because they are wandering and helpless without a shepherd, so he turns to his disciples and commands them not to do good deeds but to “pray earnestly” or “beg” God to send laborers into his harvest.

Before Jesus “calls” and “sends out” the twelve disciples (10:1), he asks all disciples to get involved in the harvest in a more basic way (9:37). They are to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out such gospel workers. The vital link between the masses who need to hear the gospel and the “workers” who are sent out to preach the gospel is the whole company of disciples praying for the work of the gospel. (John Dickson)

God has designed it so that we who go and those who send are connected to the “work” through prayer. We are all to be praying for God to send more workers into his harvest. What does this prayer look like? Is it enough to stop for 10 seconds each day and pray a simple prayer asking God to send more workers into the harvest?

The assumption here is that believers will be moved with the compassion of Jesus for the world and so will not simply “ask” God to send out more workers, as one request among many; they will plead with him to do so. God’s people understand the world’s need for the Shepherd, feel the compassion of Christ toward them and beg the Lord of the harvest to advance the work of the gospel. (John Dickson)

Jesus is calling us to plead with God to send more workers. He desires us to be broken over the lostness that we see among the Hui and other unreached people groups (UPGs) and as a result to fall on our knees and cry out for God to send “harvesters.” When we cry out for God to send workers, we join in the work God is doing among those peoples. 

At the very least, I am saying that when you pray for the work of the Gospel, and in particular, for the sending out of more “workers”, you are actually promoting the Gospel. You are personally seeking the salvation of others in obedience to, and in imitation of, the “friend of sinners.”

(John Dickson)
As you pray, you are “promoting” the Gospel among the Hui. Your prayers are an essential part of the work God is doing to bring many Hui people to know and worship Him. Thank you for being a part of promoting the Gospel among the Hui! Developing a Burden for the Hui As you consider your prayers for the Hui, if you realize that you are not pleading with God to send workers into the harvest among the Hui, it is likely because you are not broken over the lostness and the helplessness of the Hui. This is unfortunately a common struggle for many of us even those who live among the Hui. What do we do about it? How do we foster compassion for a people group that live across the world from us? How do we continue to love a people and cry out for their salvation when every person that we share the gospel with rejects it? How do we become burdened for the Hui to the point that we cannot help but fall on our knees and cry out to God to send more and more workers into His harvest among the Hui? Our burden and passion for the Hui or another unreached people group (UPG) to know Jesus comes directly from God. We need to cry out to God, “Please reveal to me your heart, your love, for the Hui.” Ask God to burden you with a deep compassion for the Hui to hear the gospel and come to know Jesus. As you pray seeking a burden for the Hui, search the Scriptures and meditate on God’s love and compassion for the lost. Read the Gospels and study Jesus’ concern for the lost and how he responds to it. Read through the Old Testament and find the many passages that confirm that God loves all people and not just the Israelites. One example is found in 1 Kings 8 when Solomon is dedicating the Temple of the Lord:

Prayer Video Resources

Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name’s sake (for they shall hear of your great name and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.

(1 Kings 8:41-43)
In the Spring of 2013, thousands of individuals and churches participated in a month of prayer for Chinese Muslims. During this month of desperate prayer, God moved mightily. At least one church began to form among the Hui. Hui believers in two different parts of China began to develop a vision for meeting together and building unity. Churches in China and around the world were and are still being called to pray and proclaim the Gospel among the Hui. God is working among the Hui and answering our prayers!
Worker among the Hui

King Solomon cries out to God to help the foreigners who call out to God. Paul also urges Christ followers to plead with God on behalf of those who are not following Jesus.

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. (Romans 10:1 ESV)

The Jews had rejected and persecuted Paul many times. Paul was also called and sent out as the apostle to the Gentiles; yet, he continued to plead with God for the salvation of the Jews. Paul not only prayed for the Jews but for all people, everywhere. 

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV)

As you seek a burden for the Hui that will lead you to plead with God to send workers into the harvest, pray asking for God’s heart for the Hui, search the Scriptures and meditate on God’s love for the lost and get to know the Hui. The more real the Hui become to you the more you will care about them. Read stories about actual Hui people and their lives and concerns. Go through this website and browse the stories and become knowledgeable about the Hui and their customs. Pray through the 30 day prayer guide. Watch videos that introduce the Hui and provide a window into their world. Take trips and meet Hui people and hear their concerns and needs and see the lostness. Visit cities that contain more than 500,000 Hui who have never heard the Gospel. The more you humanize the Hui the more you will be burdened for them and cry out to God for them! 

God we cry out to you, please send thousands of workers into your harvest among the Hui!

Meditate on the following passages and consider how and what we are to pray for God’s workers in the harvest:

To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:18-20 ESV)

How are we to pray:

  • Keep alert and pray with all perseverance
  • Pray for all the saints (all believers)

What are we to pray for God’s workers:

  • Pray for workers to boldly open their mouths and proclaim the mystery of the Gospel

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 ESV)

What are we to pray for God’s workers:

  • Pray for the Gospel to quickly spread and to be honored (received) by those who hear it.
  • Pray for protection for God’s workers from wicked and evil men.

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2-4 ESV)

How are we to pray:

  • Pray steadfastly
  • Be alert and pray in a spirit of thanksgiving

What we are to pray for God’s workers:

  • Pray for God to open a door for the the Gospel to be proclaimed. Pray for access and openness even when doors appear to be closed.
  • Pray that the Gospel will be proclaimed clearly.
Paul’s writings call all believers to be alert and to persevere in prayer for our brothers and sisters around the world. He also provides some guidelines in how to pray for God’s workers out in the harvest fields. We are to pray for God to open doors for the Gospel to be proclaimed. We are to pray that workers will proclaim the Gospel boldly and clearly. We are to pray that the Gospel will spread quickly and be honored by those who hear. And, we are to pray for God’s workers to be protected from wicked and evil men. Paul encourages us to focus on God working and moving in ways that only He can to make His name known around the world. Take for example Colossians 4:2-4. Paul is in prison; yet, he is confident that through the prayers of believers God will still provide a way for him to proclaim the Gospel. John Dickson reflects on this “illogical reality:”

An “open door” for the message, even though the chief messenger is locked up “in chains”: only prayer could ensure such a beautifully illogical reality! Paul was confident that, through the intercessions of other believers, God’s Word would never be constrained by mere circumstances.

May meditating on these passages challenge all of us to daily, intentionally pray for God’s workers among the Hui. May we be reminded of the importance of prayer and our dependence on God. Prayer is a responsibility not for just a few of us but all of us. We are all capable of falling on our knees and crying out to God on behalf of lost peoples around the world and on behalf of those whom God has sent out to declare His marvelous wonders. As we pray, we join in “promoting” the Gospel among the Hui and other unreached peoples around the world.

Observing this reminds us that ultimately the mission is not ours but God’s. If the fundamental gospel-promoting activity is hidden from us, it is clear that involvement in God’s mission requires faith more than activism, dependence more than programs and humility more than boldness. (John Dickson)

Not all of us will feel confident speaking to others about salvation, but all of us can be confident speaking about others to the Saviour himself. Doing so is a fundamental expression of both dependence on God and commitment to his mission; it is a hidden but glorious promotion of the gospel.

(John Dickson)

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Prayer Requests

 

  • Pray for God’s workers among the Hui to boldly proclaim the Gospel.
  • Pray for God’s workers among the Hui to clearly proclaim the Gospel.
  • Pray for protection for God’s workers from wicked and evil men.
  • Pray for God to open doors among the Hui for the Gospel to be proclaimed.
  • Pray that the Gospel will quickly spread among the Hui and that many will honor it and believe!

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